Huge number of Karnali youths leave for India in search of employment opportunities

Published On: May 6, 2023 10:30 AM NPT By: Lalit Bista


KALIKOT, May 6: As the signs of economic recession are increasing in the country, a huge number of people are going to India in search of work from Karnali province. 

Since the government's plan to increase employment is just limited to paper, there has been an increase in the number of people from the hilly areas of Karnali province entering Mughal in search of work.

Even the provincial and local governments, which were formed with the promise of providing employment in the villages, have not been able to stop the compulsion to go to India in search of work. Navaraj Sunar of Palanta Rural Municipality was thinking of not going to India but his ¹desire did not last even for a few months. As there are no employment opportunities in the village, Sunar is going to India with heavy debts.

Most of the people of the hilly villages of Karnali province seem to want to leave the district and go to India. However, the condition as well as number of people going to India is not known. Unofficial figures show about 300,000 people from Karnali have gone to India for employment opportunities. Due to the open border, hundreds of local people are going to India every day for employment.

Most of the people of the district go to work in different places of India for about nine months of the year and come back and stay in their village for the remaining three months. Nabin Bista of Dailekh said that he used to return to his village during festivals and work in India at other times.

"When you work in Nepal, the wages are low. You can not get employment opportunities for a long time. You have to take care of your children and run the household. ", he said. “But after working for a few months in India, the house expenses will be enough.” 

Recommendation letter mandatory to go to Kedarnath

According to Chief District Officer Jora Singh Majhi, Kalikot residents need a recommendation letter to go to Kedarnath. 

Last year in May, an Indian boy fell from a cliff while going to the Kedarnath temple. It was rumored that one of the companions from Kalikot ran away with his iPhone and gold locket. 

CDO Majhi said that the police there stopped the workers from Kalikot from entering Kedarnath.

The locals of Kalikot, who have been crossing the border without interruption, have been suffering for a year. 

Kedarnath is a major destination for wage laborers, but now they need a recommendation letter to go to this place.  

Before going to Kedarnath to work as laborer, anyone from Kalikot must take a recommendation from the administration. Acting Chief of Police Subraj Bam said that 5,836 people have received recommendations since March 24.


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